“Now I am speaking as a forward and I generally don’t have sympathy for defenders.

“But when I’m looking at that that’s how defenders get sore faces, it’s a clear foul for me.

“And then the second phase looked offside.

“There was no excuse for dropping Tanner because we had been well warned with him.

“But that aside we dominated the match, there was only one side wanting to win.

“That’s the most frustrating thing because we created some gilt-edged chances.

“I thought Roarie Deacon was exceptional but at the end of the day we’ve got nothing.

“There are no pictures when it comes to the table and it’s another three points gone.”

STEPHEN ROBINSON praised the character of his side after they won at Dens Park for the third time this season.

The Motherwell boss admitted his men weren’t at their best as they held on for a 1-0 win thanks to Craig Tanner’s first half strike.

But he was thrilled with the way his Steelmen stood firm as the Dark Blues threw everything at them late on.

He said: “Take nothing away from Dundee, I think they’re a good side. Neil’s doing a good job here.

“But if I was a fan going back down the road knowing that people are putting that Motherwell badge on, throwing themselves to the ground, tackling, heading, putting their bodies on the line, I’d be very happy.

“We can play a lot better than that but when you play games like this you need to show resilience and that’s what we did.

“In terms of character and organisation I give them top marks.”

Dundee boss Neil McCann claimed his side should have had a late penalty when A-Jay Leitch-Smith’s shot struck the arm of Cedric Kipre. But Robinson, unsurprisingly, didn’t agree.

He said: “I’d have been aggrieved if it was given and i am sure Dundee would have been aggrieved if it had been given against them.”

The Verdict

Man of the Match
CEDRIC KIPRE was a massive presence at the back for Motherwell as they stood firm in the face of a second half battering from the men in dark blue. The big defender made sure new boy Simon Murray barely got a kick throughout the 90 minutes and was a rock as McCann’s side continued to throw balls into the box in the hope of snatching at least a point.

Man in the Middle
ALAN MUIR had a number of flashpoints to deal with as tempers simmered throughout this fourth meeting of the sides this season. The ref took no action when Main and Kusunda squared up to each other but did pull his book out when McGowan and McHugh ended up grappling on the ground after both went for a high ball. The whistler also turned down a late Dundee penalty shout but it appeared to be the right call.

Men in the Dugout
NEIL McCANN will be wondering how his side didn’t take at least something from the game given the way they dominated possession after the break but will also be concerned at the way his side’s final ball let them down all too often. Stephen Robinson, though, will be thrilled with the character his men showed as they stood up to everything the Dark Blues threw at them, especially late on.